The Blood and Fire Drop-In

[Warren Peace]

Andy,

I strongly agree with your principles. I also think that you should do what is best for your wife to keep your relationship with her strong.

Whether you choose the path of Anglican or the path of Salvation Army, you are doing right by Christ. Consider your baptism with the Anglican church to be in addition to your Army dedication, not a replacement. That way, you can't go wrong.

You can't do anything that pleases everyone, and since you are already pleasing Jesus, then do the next best thing and please your family. I assure you that if you pray hard over this one with your family that you will agree that keeping peace within your new church is what He wants for you.

The Army used to do communion until they realized that many people came for the wine and not the ritual. It is a very righteous and biblical ceremony, and your new church should offer grape juice in place of wine for those who ask for it.

There are many other ways to remember the body and the blood of Christ, which is why the Army felt it was ok to exclude it from the Sunday service. But whether you choose to do it in the Anglican church or not, your decision will be right with Him so long as you make your decision for the right reason... and that's all that matters.

Praying for you brother...

 

[Andy Broadley]

Thanks Warren thats great advice. Think I'll dig the old heels in a bit first though, you never know.

 

[chickette]

Chickette - which corps is that? I remember the CD coming out, but I can't remember who made it (I'm a Nth Brisbane Salvo), I have a feeling Michelle Kay had something to do with it??? She was a great music leader at Unlimited...

Try the website www.illfight.com It has a lot more info than I can give ya!

Don't know who Michelle Kay is?

And I think you can order the cd from there or from maybe another salvo site?

 

[MandaJ320]

the Salvation Army is awesome!!!! i went there while dating a member in SC. i would go to one here if there was one nearby.

 

[Abiel]

the Salvation Army is awesome!!!! i went there while dating a member in SC. i would go to one here if there was one nearby.

Well, welcome to the Cyber Corps! I'm Tracy by the way. Abiel is a long story which I might share one day!

Try not to be sad.

 

[Abiel]

Thanks Warren thats great advice. Think I'll dig the old heels in a bit first though, you never know.

I think it may be the case that the Army sees the soldiers vows as being the equivalent of baptism.
I'm a bit puzzled though. We Salvationists can go to the local Cof E and take communion freely. In fact, we often make a posse for midnight mass. It is not true that you cannot recieve communion- that is a descision that your current vicar has taken. Dont want to stir up trouble, but at his discretion, I think you could receive communion.
It could be that he genuinely believes that unbaptised people are not saved- I have come across this so much on this forum, to the extent that I have been told I am definitely going to hell (despite infant baptism and conformation! not enough water I guess!)
One of the reasons the Army abandoned these rites, is because they cause arguments between Christians. CF is proof of that! There will always be someone who thinks you are not baptised enough.

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

I was baptised as a child (old pentecostal family). I don't believe it's NECESSARY for Salvation (I've been going into a forum which is arguing black and blue that it IS), but is a good declaration to the world of the fact that you have accepted Jesus as saviour and are now following Him. I would assume becoming an Adherent or Soldier in the SA would achieve the same things? I do know that our church has occasionally offered baptisms in a nearby pool, if people do wish to be baptised.

My bf (who also attends the SA), was raised Lutheran, so his infant baptism and late on confirmation are used as baptism in that denomination. He's planning to be an Adherent (I became one in 2002) very soon, and feels this will be as symbolic of his public declaration as a baptism would.

I feel that if you have confessed your sins, and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour - you are a Christian! I can't really believe that baptism is essential for that, otherwise what about the Thief on the Cross, and all the Christians before Jesus came?

Sasch

 

[Believer-in-Christ]

The Salvation Army does so much awsome work around the world. I haven't donated a lot to them but even the little I have has helped.

 

[Andy Broadley]

I think it may be the case that the Army sees the soldiers vows as being the equivalent of baptism.
I'm a bit puzzled though. We Salvationists can go to the local Cof E and take communion freely. In fact, we often make a posse for midnight mass. It is not true that you cannot recieve communion- that is a descision that your current vicar has taken. Dont want to stir up trouble, but at his discretion, I think you could receive communion.
It could be that he genuinely believes that unbaptised people are not saved- I have come across this so much on this forum, to the extent that I have been told I am definitely going to hell (despite infant baptism and conformation! not enough water I guess!)
One of the reasons the Army abandoned these rites, is because they cause arguments between Christians. CF is proof of that! There will always be someone who thinks you are not baptised enough.

That was the same for us as well at first. We both went up and knelt, and both recieved communion. It was only quite recently, when I started taking my stand about dedication vis a vis Chistening, that it changed. Now we both go up and kneel. Karen is given communion and I am blessed.

Now the amount that this bothers me you could fit inside a matchbox, without taking the matches out first. In fact I find it a little comical really. I certainly don't feel that not having the Sacrements is damageing my relationship with Christ.

The most important thing is that first, formost, and above all, I am a Christian. As Sascha pointed out, none of this is necessary for Salvation. I have been dedicated, made my promises as a junior soldier and as a senior soldier, signed the Articles of War etc. etc.

I am satisfied that this is sufficiant for God. If it not sufficiant for the C of E, then thats their problem, and I'll take my chances on judgement day.

If they decide to accept it, then fine, I'm happy to be confirmed. If not I'll have to comb my hair into a quiff(while theres still enough left) and start turning up the collar of my suit!!

 

[Warren Peace]

One of the reasons the Army abandoned these rites, is because they cause arguments between Christians. CF is proof of that! There will always be someone who thinks you are not baptised enough.

If we abandoned everything that causes arguments between Christians, then there wouldn't be anything left to Christianity

 

[Andy Broadley]

A great day is upon us

 

[Andy Broadley]

This is wonderful. A place of our very own to meet and share. The honour of the first post in our new home should really go to our CO who started the thread that got us to this place.


I certainly am neither worthy nor able to find the right words for an occasion like this, so I hope everyone will agree that there can be few words better suited than those of General Booth himself

While women weep as they do now, I'll fight; while little children go hungry as they do now, I'll fight; while men go to prison, in and out, in and out, as they do now, I'll fight; while there is a drunkard left, while there is a poor lost girl on the streets, while there remains one dark soul without the light of God, I'll fight . I'll fight to the very end.​

93 years later those words ring out as our orders, in every way as strongly as they did in 1912. ​

My prayer for this cyber corps is that, while many of us now share faith in other churches, we can still come together here, as can everyone, and take the fight to Satan, through whichever denomination we belong to. *salutes*​

 

[Victrixa]

Dear Envoy Abiel and my Salvationist friends,

Do you mind me coming regularly for a visit in your Cyber Corps even though I now adhere to Catholicism (and am very convinced by it)? I would like to come and fellowship in an ecunemical spirit. I love my Salvation Army brothers and sisters and have such wonderful memories as an ex-Salvationist!!!

Hugs to all!

 

[Andy Broadley]

Whosoever will may come.


You will be welcomed with open arms whenever you want to come here. God Bless

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

Oh Please Join Us!

And Andy - we have the 'I'll fight' slogan on t-shirts over here now (they are black with the shield on the front, and the cry on the back). I can't manage to find a link to anywhere you can buy them, but there's usually a lot of youth wearing them during church...

Sasch

 

[Bradford]

Mod recordkeeping note:

Thread moved from Friendship Court to Cyber Corps- Salvation Army.

Thread is now in a Christians Only forum, therefore Rule 6 does now attach.

 

[chickette]

Oh Please Join Us!

And Andy - we have the 'I'll fight' slogan on t-shirts over here now (they are black with the shield on the front, and the cry on the back). I can't manage to find a link to anywhere you can buy them, but there's usually a lot of youth wearing them during church...

Sasch

I have one of them in white! I wanted to be different cos everyone got them in black! Did u come down here for the Double Impact conference? Thats where I got mine from.

 

[Sascha Fitzpatrick]

Not sure (some who wear them did go to the conference, I think) - I do know there were some for sale at the UNLIMITED conferences up here and in Sydney last year.

I think they're really cool - been wanting to find where to buy them from, but they seemed to swallow up into the earth after conference...

Sasch

 

[Victrixa]

Thank you Andy and Sascha!


Okay now, everyone, shouldn't there be a C.F. Cyber Corps Photo Album?

 

[Andy Broadley]

Here's one to think about for a minute. I was raised in the Army and served for many years. Eventually, meeting my wife and moving town resulted in me now woeshipping at an Anglican Church. My wife was Christened as a baby in the C of E, whilst I was, obviously, dedicated in the Army (by a Brigadeer no less).

Recently, the subject of confirmation was broached to us by our vicar. Following some discussion it transpired that whilst Karen could be confirmed, I would first have to be baptised as they did not recognise my Army dedication.

We have now arrived at something of an en passe, because I consider my dedication to be as valid and meaningful as Karen's Christening. I therefore cannot be confirmed unless I back down on this point of principal, which to me would devalue the meaning of my dedication.

However, the main drawback of not being confirmed seems to be that I cannot receive communion. As this was never part of my Army practices, I can't say it bothers me overduely.

I know I'm only being awkward and stubborn, but it's a principal I feel strongly about. If I can't have communion then so be it. I'll still be an active church member and this situation will not have a negative bearing on that.

What do you guys think. Is our dedication service on a par with a C of E Christening?

Felt the need to share this on here tonight, but please bear with me as my thought processes are still putting it all together.


I have a feeling that God is speaking to me on this. I never have been, and never will be, any good at remembering any but the most important of Christian calander dates. So I had no idea when I arrived at church this morning that it is in fact the day when they celebrate the baptism of Jesus. In her sermon the vicar spoke about the church and baptism, and what it meant and entailed, which in the main seemed to be pretty much the same as the Army dedication. And then she used a strange expression. She said that through the Christening/baptism service we are 'dedicated to God'.

That made me sit up a bit!! However, it could well have been a co incidence (not that I believe in them mind). But during the announcements earlier, she had related to us how an elderly member of the congregation had died following a long illness, and made a point of saying that she had been 'promoted to Glory'.

I had no idea about the significance of today when I posted this a couple of days ago, and it just seems that the way it is slotting together, God is speaking to me. I know I've got a lot more praying and a lot more listening to do, but right now I think the message seems to be

"Relax, it's OK, you're where I want you, leave it to me"

So please, if possible, chuck the odd prayer in the heavenly in tray for me. It's kinda scary when God talks directly to you on something. I mean, you hear about it happenning to other people all the time, but when it happens to you....

Sort of blows you away. Anyways, I'll keep you posted.